Now
Fair
74.0°
High
87°
Low
72°
Full Forecast

Coupon

Jobs

Cars

Homes

Rentals

Alerts

Subscribe
Home > News > Local
Bookmark Us   •   Make Us Your Homepage

Nelson wants to spur oil drilling

Comments 25 comment(s)  
E-mail Story E-mail Story
Print Story Print Story
Share  Share
Text Size: 
Tools Sponsor

By DON WALTON / Lincoln Journal Star

Wednesday, Jul 09, 2008 - 03:17:22 pm CDT

Sen. Ben Nelson said Wednesday he supports more domestic oil drilling, but questioned why oil companies aren’t drilling at offshore locations they already lease in the Gulf of Mexico.

“They always want to drill where they don’t have a lease,” Nelson said.

“They always want to go where they aren’t.”

Story Photo
Sen. Ben Nelson

Nevertheless, he said, he is open to lifting the offshore drilling moratorium “in certain locations under certain circumstances.”

“What we want is oil pumped,” Nelson said during his weekly conference call from Washington.

“Why aren’t we pumping more oil? Does Congress need to provide an incentive to pump?”

Nelson, a Democrat, said he is working with a coalition of 10 senators to seek a bipartisan compromise on energy policy.

Later in the day, he and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, sent a letter to President Bush urging him to convene a bipartisan national summit to develop a consensus energy plan.

“With energy prices skyrocketing and the costs to Americans getting more burdensome by the day, it is imperative that all elected officials work together to try and find common sense solutions — and fast,” Nelson said.

Nelson said he wants to establish “an energy policy roadmap” with a timeline for developing and conserving energy.

It would include development of alternative fuels and alternative power, including nuclear, wind, hydro and solar, he said.

“We should look at every option,” he said.

But Nelson said he does not support drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

ANWR “keeps being offered as a short-term alternative,” he said, when its impact would be 10 years away.

On other matters, Nelson said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s desire to establish a timeline for withdrawal of U.S. combat troops is a positive development.

“They’re not ready for us to pull out tomorrow,” he said, but this is an indication that “they’re ready to move on.”

Nelson said he continues to support increased economic sanctions against Iran as a means of pressuring that country to abandon any nuclear weapons ambitions.

“The goal shouldn’t be to drop bombs on Iran,” he said. At the same time, he said, there must be a recognition that “we cannot permit Iran to become a nuclear power. Period.”

Iran’s newest missile test reflects “a mistaken view that shooting a few rockets up in the air (is) going to intimidate either Israel or the United States,” Nelson said.

“We don’t have to take the bait to do something militarily,” he said.

Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or at dwalton@journalstar.com.


$1 Sunday Delivery - Subscribe Today!
Local > Back to Top of Story

Post Your Comment

Standards and Rules
All posts to JournalStar.com are subject to our Terms and Standards.
Your posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
Frequently asked questions about story commenting.
(optional)
   
Hide Comments Hide Comments   Newest First Newest First  
Mike wrote on July 9, 2008 3:35 pm:
" "a bipartisan national summit to develop a consensus energy plan"
Isn't that what Congress is supposed to do? "
OIL EXEC wrote on July 9, 2008 3:35 pm:
" Um, why should we do that. We're making record profits. See article http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/CompanyFocus/DidOilExecsLuckIntoRecordPay.aspx "
JIm wrote on July 9, 2008 4:01 pm:
" Sure just what oil companies need an incentive to drill oil and make more billons ! How about the incentive that they better do there job and drill for oil ! Maybe instead of an incentive, fine them if they don't ! Now that is an incentive. "
Yes drill wrote on July 9, 2008 4:03 pm:
" He better get democrat obstruction buddies off the fannies and put something through congress then. "
Hexagon wrote on July 9, 2008 4:28 pm:
" More incentives for Big Oil to drill? Logistics show offshore drilling carries risks and few long lasting benefits. Conservation and development of infrastructure to accommodate mass transit will be the most significant route to decoupling from petroleum dependence. As for Iran, his myopic analysis is likely inaccurate, Iran has been threatened and it is logical for them to develop defensive systems. Currently Iran is also exploring a missile defense system built by Russia, this seems prudent and logical given hawkish behaviors by Israel and the USA. . Nelson has been sluggish in promoting a comprehensive energy plan. "
ta wrote on July 9, 2008 4:41 pm:
" Keep big Oil out of our Oceans. They only want money and don't care how much of the world will be trashed. Ask a fisherman in Alaska how they care about the Oceans. We need clean surf and wind farms. "
nemo wrote on July 9, 2008 5:04 pm:
" They are drilling, oil is 140 bucks a barrel believe me they're drilling and pumping. And we're all using about as much as we ever have. Go BP you rock!!! "
DOC wrote on July 9, 2008 5:22 pm:
" Okay Class, how long has Bennie been in the senate, the group that has a 9% approval rating, the lowest since they started to the survey 50+ years ago. Remember, blue dress Bill? Did he like drilling? He vetoed drilling in Alaska in 1995. The area where they would be drilling is about the size of Lancaster county and it is waste land. Oh yes, we would get oil in 10 years. Oh we would have had it. I think I could get the first 500 people that enter Memorial Stadium on a football Saturday and they could do a better job than the group we have now in Washington. We've had 34 years, Bennie and your time is up. Go back to McCook and write your book with your most famous accomplishments. What would that take about ten minutes? "
No oil wrote on July 9, 2008 5:47 pm:
" We need to end the use of all fossil fuels once and for all. The best way to ensure our survival is to return to the agrarian society of the early 1800s. No pollution form coal and oil, no fuel for weapons, and no factories for the corrupt military industrial complex. "
MarkyMark wrote on July 9, 2008 5:48 pm:
" I thought Cheney and ExonMobile already had our energy plan in place. Isn't Cheney the most experienced man in Washington? Honestly, these high gas prices have to be in their last throes. "
Big Oil wrote on July 9, 2008 5:50 pm:
" Let's see, we should spend more money and drill more to bring DOWN the price of oil. Gee that makes sense. "
Poll Watcher wrote on July 9, 2008 6:15 pm:
" Ben's been reading the polls, I see. "
How Hilarious wrote on July 9, 2008 6:25 pm:
" People actually think oil companies want to bring down the cost of oil? Why? So they can make less profits? Ridiculous. Only in Nebraska "
acetogen wrote on July 9, 2008 7:42 pm:
" The point about oil drilling is that the 10 billion barrels or so that can be extracted from the Gulf amounts to the US supply for 1 year. Besides such oil will be sold in the global market so only about 25% will end up here in the US. How much price reduction do you all think this is going to produce? "
JP wrote on July 9, 2008 8:39 pm:
" Enough of the 10 year plan. I read an article on MSNBC last week where North Dakota is making millionaires almost by the day due to Oil Royalties. The oil companies putting in wells up there get to production in 6 WEEKS! Offshore, yes, it will take a long time due to the conditions but there is plenty of land based reserves we haven't gone after (shale and ANWAR).
Drilling in ANWAR is only on a site about the size of the UNL campus. With proper incentive, this could be tapped in a matter of months. "
CC wrote on July 9, 2008 9:04 pm:
" Yes, lets end the use of all fossil fuels and return to an agrarian society. If you sincerely believe that, why do you have the internet and are commenting on this story? Get real

Why would oil companys want to drill more oil? Supply demands it. They are enjoying a record profit because supplies are low, but how long can we continue to buy $4/gal gas. They have a productin limited supply, we buy their product at a higher price, they supply it, we demand it. Simple economics. If we can no longer afford the oil, we will not buy it, supply goes up, price goes down. It is in their best interest to lower cost while even experiencing their high profits.

Lest we forget that the government gets around 60 cents to the oil company's 8 cents per gallon. "
Maynard wrote on July 9, 2008 9:24 pm:
" CC, don’t forget the more than 50 cents we are taxed to subsidize ethanol and the 33 per cent price increase of milk, hamburger, and chicken that is associated with higher demand for corn and those outrageous prices! Johanns and Nelson both supported the ethanol fiasco. "
JB wrote on July 9, 2008 10:51 pm:
" Nelson you are sounding like a no brain "Bushman". Try not acting like a right winger which are bought and paid for by big oil. We all know you are a "Republican" in "Democrat" clothes. This is a very short term answer and does nothing for a long term problem. "
Ha wrote on July 10, 2008 7:30 am:
" I think the rising gas prices are the best thing to happen in years. Production of the Hummer has ceased. Production and sales of big dumb SUVs and pickups are way down. I guess the only way to get some people to conserve is by getting them in the pocket. I hope gas ends up at $10 gallon, maybe then the demand for alternative energy will outweigh the demand for short-term fixes of our gas addiction. Maybe then we will demand politicians that aren't canoodling with the oil industry and make them quit sitting on the patents for electric cars and other real solutions. The relationship between our politicians and the energy companies is destroying us. "
come on wrote on July 10, 2008 8:21 am:
" Obviously most of the posters here do not understand how a market works.

The technology that will take us off of oil is simply not ready yet. Wind and solar sound nice, but are not practical as of now. Nuclear is ready to go, but there are a bunch of wackos who are blocking progress there. Vehicles cannot run efficiently on anything besides gas right now. The technology will come eventually, but it is not there yet. We need to drill our own oil now and prepare for new technology in the near future. "
Tammy wrote on July 10, 2008 8:44 am:
" More drilling is not the answer. Instead of drilling, we should take away the subsidies for oil and invest that money in finding long term, renewable solutions. Fossil fuels are finite. There is only so much and there won't be anymore. Lets start NOW to find the next thing, instead of waiting until we absolutely have no other choice. We have some of the greatest minds in the world. Lets be the leader in this arena, not the anchor. "
Jake wrote on July 10, 2008 8:56 am:
" There is a very simple reason why the oil companies don't drill all of their leases. Oil isn't present every where, and where it is present, it may not be economical to produce. "
Whats up DOC wrote on July 10, 2008 9:35 am:
" The prohibition on drilling in ANWR extends from a joint US/Canada treaty signed in 1987 with indigenous groups who claim the Procupine Caribou as essential to their existence. These natives believe drilling will upset the Caribou's natural habitat thereby altering the aboriginal order of things. As you may know, 1987 was during the Reagan administration. You know, the guy I'm sure you think of as a minor god.
Bill Clinton did veto the 1995 Energy Bill because it included provisions for drilling ANWR. At the time, the operative US Geological Survey from 1987 showed the greatest potential for discovery to be south and east of Area 1002. A later survey - 1998 - adjusted the location to the area now in debate. However, Clinton may still have vetoed the bill because of the nagging international treaty signed by the Reagan administration. "
JB wrote on July 10, 2008 12:10 pm:
" Screw the enviroment and let our country look like eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Let's continue to drive autos based on one hundred year old technolgy. "
nemo wrote on July 10, 2008 3:42 pm:
" Sooo we really aren't worried about the caribou herd but the natives that hunt and eat them. Eat beef it tastes better anyway. "

Ads by Yahoo!